Hot Topics & Readers' Notes – 1-23-13

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic are making some exciting advances in the use of stem cells to regenerate damaged tissues and bones. In this video, they extract stem cells from the patient's own bone marrow and use it to encourage new bone growth in a deteriorating hip joint––a far less invasive procedure than joint replacement with very little risk.

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Diet vs. Exercise: Which Is More Important?

A 2011 survey found that, “Among Americans who report trying to lose or maintain weight, 70% believe both physical activity and monitoring food and beverage consumption are equally important in weight management.” Nineteen percent thought that exercise was more important, while only 11% said they felt diet was key.*

According to Michael Greger, MD of NutritionFacts.org, most of them were wrong. In this short video, he discusses why what we eat has a greater impact on weight loss and weight maintenance than how much we exercise.

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Herbal Treatments for Postmenopausal Symptoms

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is probably the best-known treatment for the unpleasant symptoms that often accompany menopause such as hot flushes, vaginal dryness, frequent urinary tract infections, etc. and for the longer-term health issues like osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. However, there are significant health risks associated with HRT, such as increased risk of breast cancer, blood clots, stroke and cardiovascular problems.

There are a plethora of healthy foods we can choose from but do you ever wonder which foods overall are the most healthy choices?

Medical News Today reviewed several different surveys in North America and Western Europe and compiled what they found to be the Top 10 Healthy Foods. (Hint: There's a lot of truth to the old saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”)

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The Ice Diet – A Surprising Fact About Ice

We all know that water has zero calories but did you know that ice effectively has less than zero calories? How is that possible? Because when we eat ice or drink ice water, our bodies have to expend calories to warm it up. Therefore, ice actually subtracts calories.

If you'd like to learn more about this phenomenon, read Michael Greger, MD's article, The Ice Diet on NutritionFacts.org.

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'Whole Grain' Not Always Healthy

For many years, we've been taught that a healthy diet includes plenty of whole-grain foods. As a result, health-conscious shoppers have been buying more food products that are labeled as “whole grain.” Unfortunately, the current standards used to classify foods as whole grain are inconsistent and often misleading.

Just because a food is labeled whole-grain doesn't necessarily mean it is a healthy choice. A new study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health found that many products carrying the Whole Grain Stamp contained significantly more sugar and calories than other products without the stamp.

Read more about the study and what to look for in whole-grain products at the Harvard Gazette.